Sprung a leak in external transmission filter
12-01-2016, 02:02 PM
#1
1919
Thread Starter
Sprung a leak in external transmission filter
...on my 2001 CL, original auto trans, 267k+ miles.
This was an easy fix by replacing the external filter, but I thought I'd share the experience anyways since it could happen to anyone.
I noticed a lot of trans fluid on the ground under the car and knew I had a leak somewhere, but looking everywhere under the hood and from below, I couldn't find the source. Even after starting the car, there was a lot of fluid spewing everywhere and dripping down to the ground, but I still couldn't find the source.
After thoroughly ruling out any leaks from below, I removed the battery tray and intake to get a clear line of sight to the trans. Basically the whole top of the trans was covered in fluid, which made no sense at first because your first thought is gravity drains all the fluid down, and there's no belts or moving parts on that side to sling it around. Visually, the (original) external filter was looking rough and slightly rusted, so I suspected it but I could still see no leak from it.
Only after starting the engine could I see what was happening. A pin-hole leak was shooting a high pressure jet of fluid from the very bottom of the filter onto the trans case, which then sprayed it all over the place. Imagine a high pressure water gun with the nozzle pointed 1/2 inch from a wall and pulling the trigger. When the car was off there was nothing but maybe a drip, but because of the location and the mess you couldn't see it.
I have attached a picture with the new filter installed, which is an easy process (there are other threads documenting the install). For those unfamiliar, the filter is the black round shiny thing below the rusty bracket in the pic. In total it drained about 2.5 quarts out through that tiny hole.
Hope this helps somebody troubleshoot in the future!
This was an easy fix by replacing the external filter, but I thought I'd share the experience anyways since it could happen to anyone.
I noticed a lot of trans fluid on the ground under the car and knew I had a leak somewhere, but looking everywhere under the hood and from below, I couldn't find the source. Even after starting the car, there was a lot of fluid spewing everywhere and dripping down to the ground, but I still couldn't find the source.
After thoroughly ruling out any leaks from below, I removed the battery tray and intake to get a clear line of sight to the trans. Basically the whole top of the trans was covered in fluid, which made no sense at first because your first thought is gravity drains all the fluid down, and there's no belts or moving parts on that side to sling it around. Visually, the (original) external filter was looking rough and slightly rusted, so I suspected it but I could still see no leak from it.
Only after starting the engine could I see what was happening. A pin-hole leak was shooting a high pressure jet of fluid from the very bottom of the filter onto the trans case, which then sprayed it all over the place. Imagine a high pressure water gun with the nozzle pointed 1/2 inch from a wall and pulling the trigger. When the car was off there was nothing but maybe a drip, but because of the location and the mess you couldn't see it.
I have attached a picture with the new filter installed, which is an easy process (there are other threads documenting the install). For those unfamiliar, the filter is the black round shiny thing below the rusty bracket in the pic. In total it drained about 2.5 quarts out through that tiny hole.
Hope this helps somebody troubleshoot in the future!
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teh CL (12-01-2016)
12-06-2016, 09:59 PM
#2
Thanks for the post! Just changed mine 3 days ago. You're right, its a relatively easy fix that I recommend for all CL/TL owners to do.
Its a bit of preventative maintenance that may extend the life of the weak tranny.
Its a bit of preventative maintenance that may extend the life of the weak tranny.